Case Number 14701: Small Claims Court

SIDNEY CROSBY: ON THE ICE AND BEYOND

The Charge

"Hop in the Cordoba baby, we're going dancing with Lord
Stanley!"

The Case

In the three years that he's been in the NHL, Sidney Crosby was not only
christened the official spokesperson for the entire sport, he also became a very
large pillar within the community of Pittsburgh. Being both a Pittsburgher and a
lifelong Penguins fan (full disclosure), I'm obviously approaching this DVD from
a different perspective than, say, a Red Wings fan. But in the most objective
sense, I can say that Sidney Crosby: On the Ice and Beyond is an honest,
well-produced, look at one of the league's best.

I can't recall too many instances where a national sports league has
released a video about a team or player who lost the championship; however, the
story of Crosby's third season with the Pittsburgh Penguins proves to be too
interesting to pass up. His personal story, filled with works of charity and
humility, set against the rugged, blue collar setting of the Steel City, is
interesting enough -- of course, the hockey is the real reason you're tuning
in.

Going into the third season, after losing in the first round of the playoffs
the previous year, expectations were through the roof for the Pens. USA Today
and a number of other publications predicted them to win the Stanley Cup from
the start of the season. Things didn't turn out to be so easy for the team: they
were plagued by injuries (including multiple instances of the dreaded high-ankle
sprain), their division was extremely competitive, and teams placed Crosby at
the center of their crosshairs. Despite all the set backs, the Penguins still
made it to the Stanley Cup finals only to lose in Game 6 to the Red Wings. This
is the season that serves as the backdrop of the DVD, stepping into the
spotlight from time to time to highlight specific games.

That said, Sidney Crosby isn't just a highlight reel from last
season. It's a stranger bird, that waivers between a pseudo-autobiography
(portions of the video are narrated by Crosby) and a narrative about an
ever-evolving team (and sport, for that matter). The story unfolds
chronologically, devoting a few minutes to the history of the Penguins and Mario
Lemieux as well as the 2005 NHL draft, and then diving into Crosby's third
season. The majority of the focus is on Crosby's off-ice life: his training, his
day-to-day lifestyle, his charity efforts, etc. For being 20 years old, he's
incredibly humble and kind, and the video does a great job taking the audience
into his world. Despite the occasionally stiff narration, Crosby's character
shines through, like when he refers to his teammates by their nicknames or never
curbs his desire to win (even if it's just SOCOM on the PSP).

Crosby isn't just talking about himself the whole video (that would be
weird). Instead, sports reporters from across North America chime in to sing his
praises. The local reporters like FSN's Dan Potash and the legendary radio
announcer Mike Lange are balanced out by folks like Wayne Gretzky and NBC's Mike
"Doc" Emrick. Even LaBron James shows up at one point. These clips,
along with file footage, news articles, and plenty of B-roll are all edited
together to perfection.

Production values are fairly excellent across the board here. The video
quality is sharp and bright; especially the game footage, which is far more
dramatic than the usual televised stuff. The sound, which is in Dolby Digital
Surround, is also quite good. My only qualm there lies in the stock music they
used, which occasionally veers a tad too hokey. One aspect of the sound that's
jarring at first, but is actually interesting, is the way the game footage is
mixed. Rather than focusing on the crowd, or the play-by-play, the sound
designers let the players on the ice do the talking. There's plenty of yelling
and banter while everything else is pushed to the background. It's an auditory
perspective you don't often get in the sport.

The feature itself only runs about 80 minutes (despite the back of the box
claiming the runtime to be 220, which I assume counts all the special features).
Included on the disc are a number of supplemental videos that are basically
deleted scenes from the feature. Each runs about two or three minutes, and
they're all interesting in their own right. "Captain Crosby" deals
with Sid's promotion to team captain; "The Draft Lottery" is a look
back at the 2005 NHL draft; "Face of the League" is about Crosby's
superstar status; the list goes on. One interesting feature is the
"Personal Stories" set, which features a whole slew of folks telling
their favorite Crosby story -- some of which are pretty funny.

While those little clips may add to the feature video (and really could have
been left in), the real bonus can be found in the "NHL Winter
Classic." The NHL has thankfully given fans the entire game in glorious
widescreen sourced from the high-def feed. The game, if you missed it on New
Year's Day, was historic in its scope (it had the largest attendance of any NHL
game). It also had a storybook ending, with Sidney Crosby winning it for the
Pens in the final slot of the shootout. This game could have easily been
released on its own DVD, and for many fans this alone is a huge selling point
for the disc.

Ultimately, Sidney Crosby: On the Ice and Beyond is for fans of
Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It certainly has the scope and production
values to appeal to the average hockey fan, but its connection to the city of
Pittsburgh and "The Next One" (as he's called) is undeniable. The DVD
itself may end on a downer, but I have a feeling that this won't be the last
time we see a Sidney Crosby DVD.